Different
by amy1oM
Summary: A different take on the scene in which Sydney went to visit Jack while he was in prison. Season 3's 'The Two' revisited


**Different  
By:** Lomeinie

**Rating:** G  
**Spoilers:** Up to Season 3's THE TWO

**Summary:** A different take on the scene in which Sydney went to visit Jack while he was in prison.

**Disclaimer:** You know I don't own Alias or its characters -- I have made money off of this and no copyright infringement is intended by this.

0-o-0o0-o-0  
When Lindsey said he wasn't without a heart, that he'd allow Sydney to see her father, he had also made it very clear that it wasn't because he was trying to do Jack Bristow any favors. Even so he had acknowledged in the same breath it wasn't her fault that Jack was her father. He obviously hated Jack and just because she had returned needing her father as she never had before, it still wouldn't change the status quo. Sydney would be given this one last chance to see her father and that would be that.

Once Lindsey had agreed to allow her to see her father, Weiss had volunteered to drive her to the prison, staying behind at the outer parts of the prison, leaving her to go in alone. Sydney was escorted further into the prison by the warden and a NSC liaison that Lindsey had waiting to lay down his conditions for this meeting.

"If you want to meet with your father for the full allotted time, Agent Bristow, I would like to advise you to adhere most carefully to the rules and conditions or else -"

Sydney shot the little weasel of a man before her a carbon copy of her father's patented look of death before she said, "Or else you'll cut short the only chance I'll ever have to see my father for the rest of my life."

The weasel nodded as he gave her an annoyed look, "Precisely, Agent Bristow. Director Lindsey is doing you a favor he doesn't ever have to allow to happen. Now do you want this meeting to happen or not?"

"Yes, Mr. Carson, I do. I want to see my father," Sydney replied, keeping the hostility from her voice.

"All right then," he said, pushing his glass back to their proper place on his nose before he began to lay down the rules.

Several minutes later after the weasel had finished blathering out a set of ridiculous rules and conditions Lindsey wanted followed, he left Sydney alone with a pair of guards to be searched for contraband they were worried she would try to slip to her father. After they were satisfied she wasn't they showed her to a small meeting room that was normally used when lawyers visited with their clients. It was empty except for a small table that had places for the prisoner's chains to be secured. A small window looked in from the hallway and it was the only way to look outside of the room when the door was closed. As she was left by the guards she was told to sit in the chair that faced the doorway and that they'd bring her father in a few minutes later. She sat down folding her hands on the table before her as they had instructed her, and she began her impatient waiting for them to bring her father to her.

About fifteen more minutes had pass and still they showed no signs that they had any intentions of bringing her father into the room. When minute 16 rolled around Sydney suppressed the desire to call out to remind them she was still waiting and she actually began to twiddle her thumbs as a way to release nervous energy. The twentieth minute was fast approaching when the door finally opened and she saw a guard enter the door sideways as he was obviously holding onto something… or someone.

Sydney's eyes immediately trailed up the arm the guard had in his firm grasp, and at last her eyes met the stunned eyes belonging to her father. She wanted so much to stand up and go to his arms but she remembered clearly Lindsey's conditions the NSC weasel had set down. So instead of getting up, and laid her hands flat on the table, her eyes never leaving her father's as the guards deposited Jack in the chair opposite to her. An eternity seem to pass as she waited for them to finish securing his shackles to the table and wanted to give a harsh laugh that they thought they had to restrain her father so heavily around her. _As if Dad would ever hurt me_, she thought but kept to herself. "You have thirty minutes, Agent Bristow," the guard informed her as he and his colleague left the room, the door closing behind them.

At the moment they were alone, Sydney inhaled very sharply and moved her hands across the space that divided them, "Dad." Her voice was a simple broken whisper as tears flooded her eyes, and streamed down her face.

Jack's face mirrored that of his daughter, except he had better control over the tears in his eyes and over his voice as he said, "Sweetheart, you look so beautiful."

Sydney smiled sadly at him, "They told me you were charged with resisting authority. Dad, I don't understand."

"I became obsessed with your death, with finding those responsible for it, and a certain point in my pursuit I needed help. So I contacted the one person I felt I could trust given the circumstances. Your mother," Jack said.

Sydney's eyes widened at this, "You were working with Mom?"

Jack nodded continuing, "At the time she was number six on the CIA's most wanted list, and the NSC primarily Robert Lindsey - you met him?"

"Yes."

"He questioned my allegiance to this country after he learned I was collaborating with your mother. As a result he chose to make an example of me in an NSC power play and here we are." Jack rubbed the back of her hands with his thumbs before he continued onward, "I was told that you have a memory, that you believe you were being held in Paris."

Sydney didn't say anything as she released one of his hands and pressed a button on her watch, "It's an anti-eavesdrop device I got from Marshall. We have ninety seconds," she explained at her father's puzzled look, "Dad, I don't remember a thing!" And she saw the confusion only deepen as she continued, "I read Dixon's lips while he was talking to Weiss outside of my hospital room. I just made it up to get leverage and now they want to send me on a mission!"

"Leverage for what?" Jack asked.

Fresh tears flooded Sydney's eyes as she answered, "To see you. They told me I couldn't see you and I needed to."

At that moment Jack wished he could have been there for her when she had returned, and he hated not being able to do anything more to comfort her besides hold her hands. But he knew Lindsey wouldn't just suddenly reversed himself because Sydney needed him… this would be all the time in the world they'd ever have together.

"Dad, I don't know if I can explain what it's like waking up and having everything different. My friends are gone, I have no job, I have no home, and Vaughn's married, and you're in prison-"

Jack's eyes narrowed in surprise and disbelief that even Vaughn could be so stupid to do something so rash and he felt a flash of anger. He decided that perhaps his incarceration wasn't such a bad thing after all as it was the only thing keeping him from hunting down Michael Vaughn and snapping his neck for hurting his daughter so much. Still if there was a chance he had misheard what Sydney had said he asked, "Vaughn what?"

Hurt ran rampant in her voice as she answered, "He got married."

Jack's voice was hard as he said, "Michael Vaughn is just a boy who was never good enough for you anyway." Sydney nodded and tore her gaze away from his, her eyes falling down towards their hands. "Sydney, listen to me." He was thankful she looked up at him again, "My investigation into your death became even more disturbing than I expected. You must continue my work and find out the truth about what happened to you. Do you understand me?"

Sydney nodded, "Yes."

"The only way to do that is by getting your CIA clearance restored so you can have access to my private files."

"Dad, I don't think I can do this without you."

"We both know that's not true and you have no choice anyway. The CIA I am certain is dubious about your return and somehow you have to get them to trust you again. If they learn you were bluffing about your memory then it's all over," Jack said.

Sydney nodded and asked, "Dad, what did you mean by your investigation was disturbing?"

"Sydney, I knew you were alive. I made a discovery you…" Jack's voice trailed off when her watch beeped, signaling the end of their time. With a slight nod, Jack began to speak of other topics filling up the time they had remaining until the guards reappeared, forcing Sydney to release and withdraw her hands from her father's.

The guards silently rearranged Jack's shackles before they stood him up. Jack's eyes remained locked into Sydney's and before they could pull him from the room he said, "You probably know this but I love you."

Breathing in deeply Sydney replied, "I love you too."

**FIN**


End file.
